The World Doesn't Have To End
by GwenOwenforever
Summary: Rhys never returned after 'End Of Days'. Gwen thinks her world is over and shuts herself away from everything and everyone. But Owen isn't about to give up on her yet.


**Disclaimer:** I own none of these amazing Torchwood characters. *Sighs* =(

**A/N:** I'd just like to thank you **madbean** for your amazing ideas. I really love the Combat one! Oh and I'm on Facebook now! Also I can't reply to any of your messages because it says the private messaging has been disabled. Anyways, back to the story! I was inspired to write this one while I was listening to Pink's 'Who Knew'. That song always brings tears to my eyes, I can totally relate to it.

Rhys was gone. That's all she could think about, all day every day. The pain in her chest was so unbearable. She was so sure opening the rift would have brought Rhys back. No one, not even Jack, could explain why it hadn't happened. There was nothing left for her now, no reason for her to go on living. The world was just an empty, dark place she was forced to live in.

Watching Rhys' mother fall to pieces as she told his parents what had happened, with some alterations, was torture. Her and Brenda had clung to each other as they sobbed into each other's shoulders. That moment was the closest they'd ever been since she'd started dating Rhys.

The funeral was a blur. She just remembered standing beside the grave thinking her world was over. Her family and friends had to do everything for her as she just stood limply, staring into space. Gwen was an empty shell now. She was physically there but inside, she was dead.

Ever since the funeral, she'd been sat on the small sofa in the Hub, refusing to go home to an empty flat screaming Rhys' name at her everywhere she turned, and refusing to talk to anyone. She didn't move, she wouldn't eat or sleep, just sat staring into space.

Before Jack had disappeared, he'd tried sitting next to her and putting his arm around her. She'd squirmed away from him and regained her position without looking at him.

Then he'd vanished leaving the team two members down. Ianto and Toshiko tried comforting Gwen but she ignored them both and showed no signs of even acknowledging that they were there.

Owen stayed well away, sure he was the last person she'd want to be with right now. He watched from a distance, his concern for her growing every day as she continued to cry in silence. He tried to lead the team but he found it hard to concentrate when all he could think about was her and what she was going through. She'd always been there for him when he needed her, especially after Diane even though he'd been a complete twat to her.

It took something as big as this for him to realise how much he appreciated it and just how much he cared for her. If he was honest, he'd have to admit he was in love with her. To see her in that state ripped his heart to shreds.

After a few days, he'd had enough of just sitting and watching her and not doing anything. He wasn't going to lose her like he'd lost Diane.

The rift monitor alerted them to activity by the bay. Owen sent Tosh and Ianto to deal with it while he stayed behind with Gwen. Tosh smiled sadly at him before leaving. He sat down beside Gwen and waited for her reaction.

Her hair was dishevelled and her cheeks puffy. Tear stains ran down her face. She'd stopped crying, probably cried out all her tears. It was the first time he noticed that she was trembling slightly too.

She ignored him like she had Tosh and Ianto. At least she hadn't cringed away from him like she had done with Jack. He waited a few more moments before shifting closer. She still didn't react. Reaching out, he placed his hand over hers. She glanced down at it before looking back at the floor. Taking this as a cue to continue, he shifted even closer and wrapped his arm over her shoulder. She pushed him away with all the force she could muster and turned to glare at him.

"Get off me." She screamed. "This is your fault. You opened that rift. You caused all that shit to happen. Rhys is dead because of you."

"I opened that rift to get Tosh and Jack back, I didn't know it would cause all that to happen." He argued. "I was just trying to help."

"Jack was right. I loved Rhys and yet I spent half my time in your bed. Do you know how bad that makes me feel? All those arguments over late nights at work, all those lies, they were all because of you." She screamed.

"Gwen, I'm sorry. I should never have started that affair. You're right, it's all my fault. I'm so sorry." He whispered, tears of his own falling down his cheeks.

She curled up into a ball on the sofa and cried into her hands.

That was the last time she spoke a word to anyone.

He watched her, trembling with tears feeling extremely guilty. He'd hurt the woman he loved and he didn't know if she would ever forgive him. He couldn't lose her. She wouldn't be the one to slip through his fingers like Katie and Diane. Gwen was the one. He felt more for her than he ever did with Katie and Diane put together.

He wrapped his arms around her once again. She stiffened and he expected her to squirm away. It surprised him when she leant her head on his shoulder a few seconds later. Pulling her against his chest, he cradled her in his arms. She clutched his shirt tightly and shook with fresh sobs.

"It's ok Gwen." He whispered. As she wept, he gently rocked her and kissed the top of her head. He half expected her to hit him or something after he'd kissed her but she didn't seem to notice. Her sobs grew silent and she loosened her grip slightly. "It's alright. I'm here for you, I always will be. Even if you tell me to piss off, I'll always look out for you."

Tosh and Ianto returned through the rolling door carrying a large device between them.

"Alien tech." Tosh said.

"Ok, run a full investigation on it. Ianto can catalogue it and put it in the archives." Owen told them.

Tosh looked at Owen and Gwen on the sofa.

"Everything ok?" She asked.

"Yeah." He nodded and turned back to Gwen. "I know this is hard for you but you don't have to suffer alone. You know that don't you?" She remained silent. "Tosh, take over for me for a minute, I need to...use the bathroom."

"Sure." She said.

He slipped out from Gwen's grip and she sat back in her original position. She still didn't look at anyone. Tosh replaced Owen as he stood up but when she tried to put her arm over her shoulder, the Welshwoman remained stiff as if Toshiko wasn't there.

Owen didn't need to use the bathroom, he just wanted to see something. He wanted to know whether Gwen was finally able to let someone comfort her and he just happened to be the one, she would have reacted that way to anyone, or whether it was because it was him.

Over the next couple of days, Gwen was still acting the same. She wouldn't react to Ianto or Toshiko, just him. She still didn't say anything or even look at him, she just clung to him and let him hold her.

He knelt down in front of her one day and he took her hand in his.

"Gwen, look at me." He whispered. A few moments passed and he sighed when he got no reaction. Then suddenly, her green eyes met his brown ones and she stared at him with a blank expression. The spark he'd seen so many times before had gone. Her eyes were dull and almost lifeless. "Please, talk to me – shout at me again – anything. Tell me what you're thinking. I want to help you through this but I can't if you don't work with me."

Gwen still wouldn't say a word but at least she'd made some progress. She was looking at him now and she'd even started to hug Toshiko and Ianto. It was as if Tosh and Ianto were a step behind him though. Gwen's eyes still wouldn't meet theirs but she could look at Owen.

He brought a cup of coffee and a few biscuits down to her the next day. She looked at them and then at him.

"Just try one, for me. You need to start eating and drinking again, it's not healthy. Rhys -" She winced at his name. "He wouldn't want to see you like this."

Her hand shook as she reached out and took a biscuit from the plate. Slowly she raised it to her lips and took a tiny bite. He smiled as she took another and another until the plate of biscuits had gone.

Her stomach growled as it realised it was being given food. She hadn't noticed just how hungry she was. She took the coffee from him and drank thirstily. She looked up at him as if to say thank you. He nodded and smiled. He thought he saw the corners of her mouth twitch as if to smile back when Ianto joined Owen's side and took the cup from him.

"I'll get you another one." He told them. Ianto smiled as Gwen looked up at him. "Would you like a sandwich too?"

Gwen looked back at Owen.

"Yeah, I think she does." Owen nodded. Gwen blinked as if to agree. "Yes."

"I'll be right back with the Gwen special." Ianto said.

He knew how each team member took their coffee and had even learned their favourite sandwich toppings when Jack was being mean and wouldn't allow them to order pizza.

More days passed with Owen spending as much time as he could with Gwen. He just spoke about anything and everything, knowing she'd join in when she was ready.

He spent his nights at the Hub with her too. He'd managed to get her off to sleep and he'd sit for hours making sure she was ok before he let himself drift off.

Gwen began to progress even more. Her head started to twitch slightly when someone asked her a question until she eventually nodded or shook her head properly. She smiled at her team mates, though the light in her eyes wasn't quite back yet. The steps she took were small and slow but it was progress.

Owen eventually decided it was time for Gwen to get out of the Hub. He sat down beside her and took her hand in his as usual after a long day at the Hub.

"I think it's time you got some proper sleep, a proper meal and a nice hot shower. Would you like that?" He asked. She bit her lip and thought about it before nodding. "Come on."

As he stood up, he pulled her with him. She winced as she felt her muscles protest from being sat in the same position for too long. He wrapped an arm around her waist to support her as he led her out of the Hub to his car. Gwen leant into him, the warmth of his body comforting.

As he drove, she realised he was taking her back to her flat. She gripped the edge of the seat and shook her head violently.

"Gwen, you have to go back eventually." He said gently. She shook her head again and stared at him wide-eyed. "The only way you're going to get through this is to face it head on. Don't worry, I won't leave you tonight if you don't want me to."

She was trembling when they reached her flat. Stepping inside, her eyes closed at the familiar scent. The smell of Rhys' aftershave still hung in the air like a bad reminder. Owen took her into the living room. She froze as she looked at the pictures of her and Rhys on the walls and in photo frames around the room. Clutching at her sides, she fell to the floor as fresh tears streamed down her face. Owen sat down beside her and wrapped his arms tight around her. She buried her face in his chest, blocking out the pictures of Rhys looming over her.

"I'm so sorry Gwen. Maybe this was too soon. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to upset you." He told her. She pulled back to look at him and squeezed his hand. He knew then that she didn't blame him. "Listen, I'll be right back ok. Give me ten minutes and I'll be back."

He left the room and entered Gwen's bedroom. Finding a bag, he packed a few changes of clothes and grabbed something for her to wear at night. He collected up her girly things and her toothbrush from the bathroom and threw them in too.

When he returned to Gwen in the living room, she glanced at the bag and then at him questioningly.

"It may not have been a great idea bringing you back here yet but I stand by what I said. You need to get some sleep and you need to eat a proper meal. I'm not letting you go back to the Hub so you can stay at mine for a few nights." He explained.

He let them into his flat and guided her towards the bathroom.

"Go have a nice hot shower while I cook us something to eat." He said. Gwen raised an eyebrow at him. "What? I can cook."

She smiled and disappeared off into the bathroom. As he went into the kitchen, he heard the shower turn on. He checked the cupboards and freezer for something to cook. There was a frozen lasagne he could heat up but that was about it. He really did need to go shopping. He shoved it in the oven and waited for it to cook.

Gwen stood under the hot spray and let it pound on her back. Going back to her flat had brought back all the pain she thought was going away. Seeing Rhys smiling at her from the photos just reminded her that she'd never get to see that smile in the flesh again. She'd never be able to tell him she loved him. The worst thing was, she couldn't apologise for all the times she'd cancelled on him because of work or worse, because she was spending the night at Owen's. She'd vowed that when she'd brought Rhys back, she'd never hurt him again and she'd always make time for him, Jack would have to like it or lump it. But Rhys never came back and now her Captain was gone.

Owen was trying to help, she knew that. He'd been so sweet to her these past couple of weeks and he'd made her feel a little bit better. The hole in her chest hadn't healed but the pain wasn't as bad. He was her painkiller. She felt safe when she was with him and he'd been there for her before when Torchwood started to get too much for her. Since then she'd seen a different side to Owen, one that she liked – a lot.

That's why she'd been so angry at Owen and screamed at him. Having feelings for him felt as though she was betraying Rhys. It wasn't his fault though and one day she'd apologise for everything.

She was still afraid to say anything though. She felt as if all that would come out would be a pain filled, heartbroken scream and she wouldn't be able to stop.

The smell of lasagne wafted through to her and her stomach growled loudly. She hurried her shower and stepped out, wrapping one of Owen's towels around her. Her nose wrinkled as she looked at her clothes on the floor. She'd been wearing them for days and they didn't smell too good. She desperately needed something clean but Owen had put her bag down in the living room. She couldn't go out in her towel. She knew Owen wouldn't take advantage of her but it still felt wrong. Maybe if she waited for him to go into his room or something, she could dart out and grab her bag.

Opening the door quietly, she peeked out and took a step out of the bathroom. Her foot fell on something soft. Looking down, she saw he'd left her a pile of clean clothes. She smiled as she picked them up and returned back inside.

Owen took the lasagne from the oven and placed it on the side. He grabbed two plates and a knife and fork for them both. Cutting a huge slab off for Gwen, he plonked it on her plate and set it on the table beside a cup of coffee ready for her.

As he sat down with his own dinner, Gwen returned from the bathroom.

"Dinner's ready." He said, gesturing to her plate. She smiled at him and sat beside him. Owen watched her as she started eating hungrily. "Is it good?" She nodded quickly. He laughed and went back to his own meal. "Feel better after that shower?" She nodded again and turned to look at him. She looked down at her clothes then back at him and smiled. "No problem."

They finished their meal and sat watching the television for a while. Gwen had changed into the comfy tracksuit bottoms she wore for bed and her oversized Tweety Pie shirt, and was nursing a cup of hot chocolate in her hands as she curled up on the sofa.

Washed and full of food, Gwen's eyes felt heavy and she started to find it hard to keep them open.

She must have closed her eyes for a few moments because the next thing she knew, she was in Owen's arms as he carried her to his room.

"Time to go to sleep." He whispered as he placed her on his bed. She reached out for him as he pulled the covers over her. "I'll be on the sofa tonight." He told her. She shook her head and looked at him pleadingly. "Alright, I'll stay until you fall asleep."

He lay down beside her and she snuggled into him. Wrapping his arms around her, he kissed her forehead and ran his hand through her hair. She sighed and let her eyes close.

Owen listened to her slow and gentle breathing and wondered if she was dreaming. She always seemed much happier and more at peace when she was asleep. Was she dreaming of Rhys? Was she dreaming of him?

He waited a few more minutes to make sure she was deeply asleep before kissing her forehead again and slipping out from beneath her. He grabbed a spare quilt and pillow from the airing cupboard and made himself comfy on the sofa.

Gwen woke up the next morning, slightly disappointed that Owen wasn't beside her.

She padded out to the living room and smiled at Owen, snoring softly on the sofa. She wanted to repay him for what he'd done for her.

Last nights dishes were still on the table so she collected them up and filled the sink. She washed and dried the dishes and clicked the kettle on. She hoped the noise of the boiling kettle wouldn't wake Owen.

The kettle had finished boiling as she popped two slices of bread into the toaster. She made them both a hot cup of tea and buttered them both two slices of toast. Grabbing a pen and piece of paper, she scribbled Owen a little note. There was a tray in one of the cupboards which she put the cups and plates on.

As she carried it into the living room, Owen sat up and rubbed his eyes. She put the tray down on the table and smiled.

"What's this for?" He smiled.

She nodded at the tray and he spotted the note. He picked it up and read it.

_"Thank you. I really appreciate everything you've done for me. I'm sorry for shouting at you like that, it's not your fault. xxx"_

"It's not a problem, you know that." He told her. She shrugged and went to sit beside him. As he moved the quilt out of her way, she pecked him on the cheek. His hand faltered and he blushed a deep shade of red. He giggled like a schoolboy causing her to grin and look away shyly. "Thanks." She gestured quickly to the breakfast and he nodded quickly. "Yeah – breakfast, good idea. Thanks by the way."

They spent the rest of breakfast shooting shy smiles at each other. The drive to the Hub passed in a similar way.

They arrived earlier than Tosh and Ianto. With Owen in charge, he thought it would be more professional if he arrived before the rest of his team.

The others arrived soon after. Tosh smiled at Gwen who was sat at her workstation.

"Morning Gwen. How are you today?" She asked. Gwen nodded and smiled then pointed to Toshiko. "I'm fine thanks. Did you go home last night?"

Taking a sticky note and a pen, she wrote her answer on the paper before passing it to Toshiko.

_"I_ _couldn't go home so Owen let me stay at his."_

"He worries about you a lot." Tosh told her.

_"Why?" _Gwen wrote.

"Oh come on Gwen, you know the answer to that." She laughed. Gwen shook her head and frowned. "He likes you, everyone knows that. Well...actually, we only figured it out after...that business with Bilis. You have no idea how much it affected Owen to see you like that."

Gwen looked guiltily towards Owen. She hadn't meant to worry him.

Ianto and Owen joined the girls around the workstation for a quick briefing when suddenly, the rolling door opened. The team turned and gasped as Jack stood in the doorway.

"Hey kids, did you miss me?" He smirked.

Everyone apart from Gwen glared at Jack. She got up quickly and stormed up to the boardroom. Owen watched her go before turning back to Jack.

"Where the hell have you been?" He demanded.

"I found my Doctor." Jack told them. "Look, I'm sorry I left without saying anything. There wasn't time – I didn't know if I would see him again."

"So you left your own team clueless and wondering if they'd ever see _you_ again." Owen shouted.

"I'm sorry." Jack repeated.

Tosh and Owen turned away from him leaving Ianto watching him sadly.

"Will you be going back to him?" He asked.

"No. I came back for you." Jack whispered. "For all of you."

"Yeah, whatever. I'm going to check on Gwen." Owen said and left after Gwen, grabbing a notepad on the way. He found her in the boardroom, sitting at the table with her legs pulled up to her chest as she stared sadly at the floor. He sat down beside her and took her hand in his. "Are you ok?" Gwen nodded slowly before shaking her head. "What's wrong?"

She took the pad from him and scribbled down her answer.

_"Jack. He disappears after everything that happened with Bilis without telling us anything. He comes back weeks later expecting us all to welcome him back with open arms."_

"I know." Owen nodded. "You're not the only one who's pissed off with him. Tosh and Ianto aren't too impressed with him either. Come down, we can glare at Jack together."

_"Fine, but don't think I'm going to speak to him."_ Gwen replied.

Owen laughed and held out his hand. She took it and they walked back down to the main area of the Hub together. He pulled her into a hug before letting her go and going their separate ways.

Gwen walked straight past Jack without looking at him and sat down at her workstation while Owen popped down to the autopsy bay. Jack followed him down but the younger man kept his back to him.

"I see Gwen's up and about again." Jack said.

"Yeah." Owen answered simply.

"How is she?" The Captain asked.

"How do you think?" Owen replied. "She's making progress."

"Progress?" He repeated.

"Yeah, she's eating and as you saw, she's walking around again but she's still not speaking. It's too hard for her to go home yet so she's staying at mine." Owen explained.

"Oh. You two seem very close." Jack commented.

"Yeah, I guess we are." Owen nodded.

"Really close?" Jack asked.

"We're just friends Jack, not that it's any of your business." He replied.

"Friends that are also making progress?" Jack smiled.

"I told you, it's none of your business. Right now, I'm just trying to be a good friend to Gwen. She needs someone to be there for her. You'd realise that if you'd been around." Owen shouted.

"I know, I said I'm sorry." Jack sighed. "And I think it's good you're looking out for her. Like you said, she needs a shoulder to cry on, a hand to hold. I can't think of anyone better for the job."

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"I saw the way you looked at her. You care about her, you love her. Her eyes said the same. What Gwen needs is someone like you who'll care for her no matter what." Jack said.

"Yeah, well...I do...have feelings for her, you know I do...love her and I'll always look after her." Owen shrugged.

Jack smiled at him and left the autopsy bay.

When he walked over to Gwen, she ignored him and carried on with some research Tosh had asked her to help her with.

"Owen's done a good job taking care of you." Jack told her. He sighed as she continued to work. Spinning her chair round, he knelt down in front of her and held it so she couldn't turn away. "I'm so sorry for what happened to Rhys. I was just as sure as you were that he would come back once the rift had righted itself. I wish there was something I could do." Tears started to build up in the corners of Gwen's eyes and he reached for her hand. She snatched it away quickly. "It's all my fault and I'm so sorry. I'm sorry for leaving you too. You never lost faith in me. You stood by my side even though the others thought I was dead. What a way to thank you, running off without so much as a goodbye."

Gwen finally looked at him, the tears flowing freely. She wiped them away with the back of her hand and reached for her notepad.

_"It's not your fault."_ She wrote. _"How were you to know what Bilis was going to do? It's my fault."_

"No, it's not." Jack said.

She nodded and started to write.

_"I should have stayed with Rhys after I saw that vision. I could have stopped it from happening."_ She replied.

Her hand shook as she began to sob.

Owen heard her and came running up from the autopsy room.

"What have you done? What have you said to upset her?" Owen demanded as he wrapped his arms around her.

"I didn't mean to...Gwen, I'm sorry. It really wasn't your fault. Bilis was clever. He would have found a way, you couldn't have stopped it from happening." Jack said. "You did all you could for Rhys. You brought him here, risking everything to protect him."

"Alright Jack, I've got it." Owen said to him. "Just, give us a few minutes."

The Captain went into his office, his head bowed guiltily. This was turning out to be a great first day back.

A few days later, things in the Hub had settled a little. Jack had taken back his role of leader, though everyone still held a slight grudge against him. Gwen was still at Owen's place and he stayed on the sofa like a gentleman.

There was one night he'd fallen asleep beside her and woke up the next morning worried she'd think he'd been taking advantage of her. She didn't seem to mind though but he didn't let it happen again.

One night, Tosh traced two Weevils down in the bay.

"I'll go." Owen called. "Gwen, care to catch a few Weevils with me?"

She nodded and followed him to the SUV.

Lightning cracked over head and the rain poured down on them. It was almost impossible to hear anything over the thunder as they ran through the streets of Cardiff.

Gwen managed to catch one of the Weevils and pinned it to the floor. She snapped the clamps on it's wrists and sprayed it in the face. As she looked up, she spotted Owen a few feet ahead facing her. He was looking around for the other Weevil.

Gwen's eyes widened as she saw the Weevil creeping up behind him. The growls the creature made were drowned out by the thunder making it impossible for Owen to hear it. Gwen had to do something. There was no way she could run over to him in time.

"Owen." Her voice came out in a whisper, croaking a little from the lack of use. "Owen." She repeated a little louder this time, but not loud enough for him to hear. Gwen gritted her teeth and took a deep breath. She opened her mouth and screamed. "Owen, behind you."

Owen spun around and saw the Weevil behind him. He punched it in the face with the barrel of his gun. As it fell to the ground, he sedated it and put the clamps on. He dragged it over to Gwen and stared at her in amazement.

"You saved my life." He whispered. "Thanks." She smiled and looked down at her Weevil. He waited for her to say something but she remained silent. "Come on, let's get these back to the Hub and out of this bloody rain."

With the heater on full blast, Owen drove them back to the Hub. They were both soaked through to the skin and shivering. He kept glancing out of the corner of his eye at Gwen. He was starting to wonder whether he'd imagined her shouting his name. He had to find out.

"It was you that shouted my name wasn't it?" He asked. She didn't look at him and she didn't even nod. "It sounded like you." He continued. "You know, I've missed that voice of yours. Jack's right, those Welsh vowels are beautiful. Except I only think they're beautiful when you say them." She turned her head slightly towards him and he could see her watching him through the hair plastered to her face. "I don't know though, maybe I was dreaming. Or maybe it was some other Welsh woman who happened to know my name. I'm really confused. Maybe if I heard you say something else, I could be sure. So answer me, was it really you?"

A few seconds of silence passed. Nothing. Minutes ticked by and not a word was said.

Owen sighed as they neared the Hub. She wasn't going to say anything.

"It was me." A small voice whispered. Owen's foot clamped down on the breaks and sent them lurching forward in their seats. He turned slowly to look at her. She was staring back at him. "Yes, it was me." She repeated.

Owen quickly undid his seatbelt and reached over to pull her into a tight hug against his chest.

"Oh it is so good to hear your voice." He told her. His eyes clamped shut as he kissed the top of her head repeatedly. He held her for a few more minutes before letting go. "Come on, we should be getting back. We need to dry off before we catch pneumonia. The heaters are on but I'm cold aren't you?"

"Bloody freezing." She replied quietly.

Owen smiled and laughed as she spoke again.

"Sorry, I'm not laughing because you're cold. It's just...amazing." He laughed.

He drove off again as she smiled and turned a slight shade of pink.

When they returned to the Hub, they threw the Weevils into the cells and joined the rest of the team.

"Wow, it's really bad out there huh?" Jack said as he looked at them.

Huge puddles formed at their feet as the rain ran off of them.

"You think." Owen replied sarcastically. "We're going to get changed."

Gwen and Owen disappeared off down to the little rooms below the main Hub. Every Torchwood operative learned the hard way to bring a spare change of clothes.

Owen grabbed them a towel each and passed one to Gwen.

"Thanks." She whispered.

He stood staring at her, a small smile on his lips. Slowly, he leant in and placed a kiss on Gwen's cheek.

"That's my thank you for saving my life and getting to hear that gorgeous Welsh voice of yours." He breathed.

She blushed a deep shade of red as she watched him walk into one of the rooms. She was frozen to the spot for a few seconds before she went into the room next to his.

Neither of them said a word to the others about what had happened. Gwen went back to her silent ways for the rest of the night. Every once in a while, the two would share a secretive smile.

"It's getting late." Jack announced. "Go home people."

Gwen and Owen made their way out to his car. She reached for his hand and laced her fingers through his. He couldn't stop the huge smile that tugged at his lips.

"Owen?" She asked. He smiled at her and nodded for her to continue. "Can you take me back...back to my flat?"

"Of course I can." He answered. "Are you sure you're ready for this though?"

She nodded and took a deep breath as she climbed into the car.

Gwen stepped through the door of her flat, her heart pounding. Owen was right behind her, holding her hand. She walked into the living room and stopped in front of a photo of her and Rhys. Picking it up, she smiled sadly at it and wiped away the thin layer of dust that had collected on it.

"I miss you sweetheart." She whispered. "I love you."

Owen looked down at the floor and stayed quiet, not wanting to disturb this personal moment.

After a few minutes, she put the picture down and turned back to him.

"Will you be staying here now?" He asked. She looked around and bit her lip. Looking back at Owen, she nodded. "I'll see you tomorrow then. Call me if you need me, yeah."

"Stay." She said.

"Gwen, I really shouldn't." He said, shaking his head.

"Please. I'm not ready to be alone here just yet." She told him.

He sighed and looked towards the door. When he turned back, she was staring at him pleadingly.

"Alright, I'll stay." He sighed. "But the arrangement remains the same. I'll stay until you go to sleep, then I'm on the sofa."

She nodded and smiled gratefully at him.

"Thank you." She whispered.

Owen stayed at Gwen's for the next couple of days. She'd taken down some of the photos of Rhys, just keeping out her favourite ones. She put the rest in a special photo album she'd bought specially for them.

Toshiko stopped in her tracks one morning when Gwen said a quiet good morning to her.

"Morning Gwen." Tosh smiled in reply. "How are you?"

"Fine thanks." She answered quietly. "You?"

"I'm very well thank you." Tosh replied.

Everyone was pleased to see Gwen slowly returning to her usual self. Her smile reached her eyes, the sparkle brighter than ever and she laughed a lot more. Jack, Ianto and Tosh all knew Owen was responsible for the change in Gwen.

The Welshwoman wondered why Owen was doing all this for her. Tosh had said it was because he had feelings for her. If it was true, then she wanted to hear it from Owen himself.

Gwen cornered Owen in the boardroom one morning after their briefing.

"Owen, can I speak to you?" She asked.

"Yeah sure." He nodded. "What's up?"

"Why are you doing this for me?" She asked.

"Doing what?" He frowned.

"Looking after me. You could have just stayed away when I blamed you but you stayed by my side. You've put your life on hold for me, you don't go out any more." She explained. "Why would you do that?"

"Because you're my best friend and I care about you." He answered. "I hate seeing you upset."

"You don't stop living your own life altogether for a best friend. You help them out as best as you can but you don't practically move out of your own house." She argued.

"So I'm not your average best friend." He shrugged. "Do you want me to apologise for wanting to look after you?"

"No." She answered. "I want you tell me honestly." He sighed and looked down at his hands. She moved into the seat next to him and placed her hand over his. "Come on, tell me."

"If I tell you, it'll upset you. You don't need my reasons right now." He mumbled.

"Owen please, I want to know." She pleaded.

He looked up at her and sighed once again.

"Fine. You really want to know why?" He asked. She nodded and waited for him to continue. "I love you. I couldn't stand to watch you fall to pieces like that. You mean everything to me and it killed me to see you in so much pain. I did all this because I love you so much." She sat staring at him. He shook his head and looked back down at his hands. "I told you you'd get upset."

"I'm not upset." She told him. She let go of his hand and stood up. "Thank you for being honest."

Owen watched her walk out of the room, confused and slightly hurt she hadn't returned his feelings.

Gwen wandered down to the archives to be alone. Ianto always spent time down here, maybe it was a good spot to think about things. She leant against one of the walls and sighed. She'd waited for so long for Owen to say those words but for some reason it felt wrong. All she could think about was Rhys and how she'd be betraying him if she ever told Owen she felt the same way.

"Rhys would want you to be happy." A voice said. She screamed and spun around to see Ianto standing a little way off. He held his hands up in the air to show her he meant no harm. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." He said quickly.

"No, no it's fine." She gasped, clutching her pounding heart.

"I was down here cataloguing some alien tech we found and I heard your thoughts. It was an accident, I didn't mean to intrude." He told her.

"What?" She frowned.

Ianto held up a small device, similar to the ghost machine.

"It's sort of like the pendant Mary gave Tosh, even though it looks like the ghost machine. It allows the holder to hear the thoughts of the people around them but it also allows you to feel their emotions. I'm guessing it comes from the same planet." He explained. "I was putting it away when I heard you."

"Oh." She said quietly.

"He would you know. Don't you think Rhys would rather see you happy with someone you really care about than spending the rest of your life alone and unhappy? Wouldn't you want the same thing for him?" Ianto asked.

"Yeah, I would." She nodded.

"Well then. Go and tell Owen you love him too." Ianto smiled.

Gwen stayed put for a few seconds, biting her lip. She looked up at Ianto determinedly.

"Yeah, yes I will." She nodded. She grabbed Ianto and pulled him into a hug. "Thank you."

He smiled and turned pink as she pulled away.

"Don't mention it." He shrugged.

Gwen ran out of the archives in search of Owen.

He was standing at his workstation, staring at the screen but he didn't seem to be taking anything in. Her heart was pounding as she watched him. He turned and looked towards her.

"Gwen, are you ok?" He asked.

She quickly crossed the Hub and wrapped her arms around his neck, crushing her lips onto his. His arms snaked around her waist as he responded eagerly. Her fingers locked into his hair as she rested her forehead against his. She looked deep into his eyes.

"I love you too." She whispered. "I really do."

He caught her lips in his again and lifted her off her feet causing her to cling onto him even tighter.

"I thought I'd scared you off." He told her.

"No, I just...when you told me how you felt, I wanted to tell you too but...I didn't think I could do that to Rhys. Ianto made me realise that he would want me to be happy and with someone I love." She explained.

"You want to be with me?" He asked.

"I do, yes." She smiled.

"Good because I really want to be with you." He whispered.

"Owen, I really do appreciate everything you've done for me. I want to thank you but I can't think of anything good enough." She told him.

"Oh, I can think of a way." He smirked. Realising it probably wasn't the best thing to think about right now, he added quickly. "I'm only joking – you don't have to."

She looked away from him for a few seconds then looked back into his eyes. A new sparkle had taken over her own eyes, one he'd seen before a very long time ago.

"I...I want to." She said.

He stared into her eyes intently and brought his hand up to brush his fingers across her cheek.

"You don't have to you know. I'm not forcing you to do anything you don't want to do." He said gently.

"I know." She nodded. She trailed her hand down to his chest and circled his shirt buttons with her fingers. A mischievous smile crept onto her face. "I want this Owen Harper. I want you." She placed a kiss on his lips and pulled away before he had chance to respond. "Race you back to your place. Loser has to do a forfeit decided by the winner whenever and wherever they decide."

Owen watched her, stunned, as she ran out of the Hub's rolling door.

"Jack, we'll see you tomorrow." Owen called over his shoulder as he followed her out.

Gwen grinned as she pulled up outside Owen's flat. She couldn't see him or his car anywhere.

"Hmm...what shall I make Owen do?" She wondered to herself as she climbed out of her car. As she made her way to the doors leading up to his flat, Owen stepped out grinning broadly. "What? How – where – how?"

"When you've been from here to the Hub and back for a few years, you find short-cuts." He told her. "Thought I'd lead you into a false sense of security so I parked my car round the corner. I must say, the look on your face when I came out just then was priceless."

"You're good." She smiled admiringly.

"Mhmm." He nodded, stepping up to wrap his arms around her waist. "Now you've kept me waiting Miss Cooper. I might have to add another forfeit to the list."

"What do you have in mind?" She asked.

"I'll think of something, don't worry." He smirked. "Let's just go up to my flat for now eh?"

Owen wiggled his eyebrows and grabbed her hand. She giggled as he led her up to his flat.

He backed her up towards his bed, his hands gripping her waist as he trailed kisses down her neck. When the back of her legs hit the bed, she pushed him away and smirked at his confused expression.

"Clothes off...now." She whispered.

Their lips locked in a fiery kiss as they began to tear the clothes from each other's bodies. Gwen collapsed onto the bed pulling him with her. He hovered over her, his breathing heavy as he watched her own chest rising and falling quickly. Looking deep into her eyes, he placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

"Are you really sure you want to do this?" He whispered against them.

"Yes." She answered back determinedly.

She pulled his face down to hers and kissed him, her breath catching as he did what she wanted.

They lay in each other's arms a few hours later. Owen held her close, closing his eyes as he lost himself in the feeling of having her in his arms.

"I love you." He told her.

"I love you too." She sighed happily.

He felt her place lazy kisses on his chest before resting her head on it.

"Gwen, have I ever told you anything about my life before Torchwood?" He asked.

"You told me you were engaged but you never explained how it ended." She replied.

"I lost her to Torchwood." Owen said. Gwen looked up at him sadly. "We've got more in common than you think."

"What happened?" She whispered.

"Katie...she started to forget things and she'd just zone out at random moments. We thought it was alzheimer's. They scanned her brain and they found what they thought to be a tumour. They took her into theatre and..." Owen swallowed heavily as he remembered it. "There was this flash from inside. Captain Jack came running in and tried to stop me going in to see what happened. Everyone was dead, the surgeons...Katie. It turned out it wasn't a tumour but some alien parasite that had taken over her brain. She was gone...and there was nothing anyone could do."

"I'm so sorry." Gwen told him.

"I just wanted you to know that you're not the only one to lose someone you love because of Torchwood and the aliens out there. I know how you feel and I know what you're going through. I want you to know that there is someone out there who understands all that. You don't have to suffer alone, I'm here to help you in any way I can." He said.

She wiped away a tear that had fallen down his cheek and smiled at him.

"I know you are." She nodded. "And thank you for sharing something so personal. It means a lot to me. Just so you know, I'm here for you too. If you ever want to talk about this or anything else again, you can come to me."

He smiled and lifted her gently to capture her lips in a tender kiss. His arms wrapped tight around her as she lay back against his chest.

The next morning, Gwen groaned as she heard a phone ringing somewhere in the distance. Owen shifted out from underneath her and she rolled over, refusing to open her eyes.

"Jack, what is it? It's six o'clock in the bloody morning." Owen whispered. Gwen growled loudly and shoved her head under the pillow. Bloody Jack. "Can't it wait until later?"

"Yes, please." Gwen mumbled.

"Alright, alright, I'm on my way." Owen sighed. She heard Owen shut his phone and throw it onto the floor. The bed dipped beside her and Owen's lips trailed kisses over her neck and shoulder. She sighed and pulled her head back out from beneath the pillow. "I'm sorry sweetheart, Jack wants me to go in. Something about alien corpses turning up and some kind of radiation. He wants me to find out what it is."

"Fine, fine." Gwen mumbled as she rolled onto her back and started to push herself up.

"No, don't get up." Owen said gently. "You don't have to come in with me if you don't want to. Stay in bed for a while, get some more sleep and come in at normal time."

"Ok." She smiled and lay back down.

Owen kissed her gently and smiled back at her.

"I'll see you soon. I love you." He told her.

"I love you too." She sighed.

She pulled him down for another kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck. He shifted himself so she was beneath him as the kiss deepened. Owen growled as he forced himself to pull away. His forehead rested against hers and he closed his eyes.

"I really should be going." He whispered.

"So go." She replied but didn't loosen her grip around his neck.

His lips came crashing down onto hers as he gripped her hips tight. She lifted herself off the bed to press her chest into his. He shivered and buried his face in her shoulder. His hands ran up her sides and down her arms to her wrists. He untangled them from around his neck and sighed.

"I have to go." He said. She pouted as he left the bed and started to get dressed. "Don't give me that look. I can never resist that look."

She sighed as she stretched out on the bed. Owen watched her longingly and she caught him looking. Smirking, she rolled over on her side to face him and placed a hand on her thigh. She started making small circles with her finger as she kept her eyes locked with his.

"I'll see you at the Hub then." She sighed. Owen nodded, unable to say anything as he reached out a shaking hand to pick his phone back up. "I'll probably just get some sleep like you said. If I can't, I'm sure I can find ways to entertain myself." Owen dropped his phone back on the floor and gulped. "See you soon."

He hesitated before scooping his phone up and leaving the flat.

Gwen giggled and shook her head. She buried her face in his pillow, breathing in the scent she loved so much. Her eyes drifted shut as she fell back into a light sleep.

_Gwen's eyes were closed as she ran her hands over her curves. She locked a hand into her hair as she trailed small circles over her stomach. Her fingers glided over the soft, creamy skin there before heading lower. Her toes curled into the sheets, so soft and cool against her burning skin. Her breathing quickened as she reached her delicate spot. One word escaped her lips as she imagined another set of hands._

"_Owen..." She breathed._

_She gasped as she slid -_

"Owen!" Jack shouted. Owen's head snapped up, breaking him out of his thoughts. He realised he'd been staring into space for the last ten minutes, holding a broken test tube in his fist. Alien blood dribbled through his fingers and he sighed as he threw the tube away. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." He mumbled as he washed his hands.

"What was that all about?" Jack asked.

"I guess I just held it too tight." Owen shrugged. "I'll get another sample."

"Well be careful this time." Jack told him.

A few hours later, Owen was examining some tissue taken from the alien through his telescope when a pair of arms wrapped around his waist from behind. He felt soft lips press kisses to his neck.

"I really hope that's you Gwen." He said out loud. The giggling that followed confirmed his thoughts. He turned around to face her and snaked his arms around her waist. Their lips met in a gentle kiss and she sighed as they pulled away. "Did you get some sleep?"

"Yes, I did." She nodded. She giggled as she saw the expression on his face. "From the look on your face, that wasn't the answer you wanted." He blushed a deep shade of red and looked away. She leant up to whisper in his ear. "I thought I'd save that for when you're there with me so I can put on a little show for you."

He dug his nails into her hips and nibbled at her neck. She gasped and felt her knees go weak. If it weren't for his hands holding her up, she'd be in a heap on the floor. He dragged his teeth across her earlobe and revelled in the strangled cry she emitted from her throat.

"All morning, I've been thinking about you." He growled. "Your little hands wandering." His hand wandered underneath her shirt, his fingers spreading across her stomach. He could feel her breath coming quick and sharp against his neck. "Caressing your skin."

He placed his palm over her heart and felt it hammering against her chest. His other hand moved to her back and unhooked her bra.

As he was about to push the lacy garment away, their Captain walked out onto the balcony.

"Save it." Jack shouted. Gwen kept her back to Jack and hid her face in Owen's chest, willing her breathing to slow down. He wrapped his arms protectively around her, trying to cover up the fact that his girlfriend was currently undone. "Owen, you almost finished with the autopsy? I need to know whether that radiation is the cause of death, if not, we could be in big trouble."

"I'm just about done. From what I've gathered, these aliens were exposed to a high dose of radiation and died from the poisoning. Luckily, it's not from this planet and it's not dangerous to us." Owen answered.

"Good." Jack nodded and left the room.

Gwen quickly pulled herself away from Owen and adjusted herself. He noticed the flushed pink patches on her cheeks and laughed.

"You have no idea how hot that look is for you." Owen commented.

She mumbled something and ran up the steps without even looking at him.

He cleared away his equipment and joined the rest of the team by the workstations. Gwen was finishing off some filing when she glanced at the date on her computer. She froze and pointed to it.

"Is that really the date?" She asked.

"Yes, the eighteenth of August." Tosh nodded as she walked to Gwen's side. "Why?"

Gwen dropped her hand and Owen watched a sad look wash over her face.

"It's mine and Rhys' anniversary today." She whispered. "I remember that day so well. I was with all my mates in the college canteen when he came out of nowhere and just asked me out. My mates just laughed and he started to leave, but I grabbed his hand and said yes. I'd seen him around with his friends and thought he was adorable. He had the goofiest grin on his face when he left. We were together ever since."

Tears formed in her eyes at the memory. Tosh gave her a sad smile and squeezed her shoulder. Owen sat in the chair beside her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She clung to him as she closed her eyes, fighting her tears.

"It's alright sweetheart." Owen said soothingly.

"Owen, do you mind if I stay at mine tonight? Alone. I just...need to be alone for this one night." She said.

"I understand. You take all the time you need ok." He nodded.

Gwen took a deep breath as she let herself into her flat. It was the first time in weeks she'd been alone here. Owen had dropped her off and she'd almost strangled him as she hugged him tight before getting out of the car.

The flat was silent and still as she walked into each room. Everywhere she looked contained a memory of Rhys. She refused to remember any of the bad ones, just the good ones like he would have wanted.

She sat on her bed and pulled out her photo album. As she looked through, she stroked Rhys' face with her finger.

"Happy anniversary sweetheart." She smiled. "I love you."

She showered and got herself chilled out for bed.

As she fell asleep, she gripped her favourite photo of Rhys in her hand.

She dreamt she was sitting on her bed, like she had been before. Rhys was by her side, reaching for her hand. He was surrounding by a white light.

"I love you Gwen and I miss you but I'm at peace now. You don't need to worry about me or anything now. I just want you to know, I don't blame you for anything and I understand why you kept things from me." He smiled. "I want you to do something for me. Live a long, happy life. I want you to be happy. Celebrate new anniversaries, get married, have kids. Do that for me?"

"I'd do anything for you." She told him.

"Then be happy." Rhys said. "Owen makes you happy. He's a good man, he'll look after you."

"How do you -"

"Next time you see him, tell him you love him." Rhys interrupted.

"I will." She nodded. Rhys' figure started to fade. She tried to cling onto his hand but he just smiled. "Don't go yet Rhys. Stay, just for a little while. Please don't go."

"I have to. I'm going to miss you so much but you can let me go now Gwen." He told her.

With that he was gone.

Gwen woke up with the warm morning sun on her face. She rolled over as she thought of the dream she'd had. She would always be sad at the loss of Rhys but as he said, she could finally let go and accept it. She promised silently that she'd do exactly as Rhys asked.

The picture she'd held was now on her pillow. She picked it up and smiled.

"Thank you." She said.

All it had taken was being able to see him one last time for her to come to terms with what had happened.

As she was about to get into her car, a familiar one pulled up in front of hers. She smiled and went over to the drivers side as the window wound down.

"Want a lift?" Owen smiled. She leant in through the window and pulled him into a kiss. "Good morning to you too."

She walked around and climbed into the car. Reaching over, she placed her hand over his and looked into his eyes.

"I love you." She told him.

"I love you too." He replied. She kissed him again before sitting back in her seat. "You seem very cheerful this morning. What's brought all this on?"

"You'll think I'm mad if I tell you." She sighed.

"No I won't. Come on, tell me." He said.

"I spoke to Rhys." Gwen told him. He stared at her, trying to figure out whether she was serious or not. "It was in a dream. He told me he wanted me to be happy and that I was able to let him go now."

"And you're sure you can do that?" Owen asked.

"Yes." She nodded. "The last time I saw Rhys before it happened, I'd just locked him in a cell with no proper explanation or anything and he wasn't exactly happy about it. I guess I felt guilty about not being able to make things up to him before he died. But last night, he told me it was ok and that he wasn't angry. It put my mind at rest so now...I can let him rest."

"Good." He smiled.

"He approves of my new boyfriend too." She grinned.

"Who?" Owen demanded.

Gwen laughed as she almost saw his face turn green with jealousy.

"You, silly." She giggled.

"Oh...I knew that." Owen mumbled. She shook her head at him and smiled as he pulled off. "You know, it was weird going to bed without you there or in the next room. It's been a long time since I've been in the flat on my own. I missed you."

"I missed you too." She told him.

"Honestly, it was like...please don't ever repeat this to anyone, especially not Jack he'll take the piss out of me for weeks." He said.

"I won't." She smiled.

"Well, it was like a piece of me was missing." He told her. "It's like...I can't function properly, I can't concentrate without you there. When you're not around, I'm always thinking about you. Sorry, that just sounds so soppy."

"No it doesn't. It's sweet." She said.

"So...do you want to come over tonight – or I could come to yours. Just, please don't make me spend another night without you." He said.

"Owen, you're so cute." She giggled. "Well, I missed waking up with you in the next room or beside me too. Your smile is the best thing to wake up to. Let's stay at mine tonight."

"Cool." Owen grinned. Gwen smiled as she sat back in her seat and just watched him as he drove. He whispered softly to himself, hoping she wouldn't hear as he repeated a word she'd said earlier. "Boyfriend."

She heard him but she knew he hadn't wanted her to so she said nothing.

She thought about recent events. When she'd lost Rhys, she'd thought it was the end of everything but then Owen came along. She learned to love again and realised that maybe, just maybe, the world didn't have to end just yet.


End file.
